Category: Test Cricket

Five talking points & Analysis- India vs Bangladesh Second Test Kolkata November 2019

India completed yet another innings victory- their fourth successive in tests at home this season, as they comfortably beat Bangladesh in Kolkata on Sunday.

Here are our talking points from the country’s first day & night test.

1. Team India create history

As mentioned above, this victory over Bangladesh was India’s fourth consecutive tests win by an innings, making them the first ever team to do so. South Africa were humbled in Pune & Ranchi and Bangladesh suffered the same fate in the first test at Indore.

This maiden pink ball game was also the shortest in terms of deliveries bowled in a test in India (968), beating the previous record of 1028 against Afghanistan last year.

2. Two concussion substitutes used in the same innings

Bangladesh’s troubles with the bat were further exacerbated when Liton Das & Nayeem Hasan were forced off the field after being struck on the helmet.

Since the introduction of the concussion substitute rule, four of the five players who were replaced had been facing India’s bowlers at the time of the blow- another indication of how threatening the Men in Blue’s pacers have become over the last couple of years.

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Five Talking Points from India vs Bangladesh First Test Indore November 16 2019

India’s pace battery again came to the party as the hosts annihilated Bangladesh by an innings and 130 runs in the first Test at Indore. With this win- achieved within less than three days, Indian skipper Virat Kohli overtook Mahendra Singh Dhoni as the captain with most innings victories in the country’s history.

Here are our talking points from the first test.

1.Mayank Agarwal’s rich vein of form with the bat continues

Mayank Agarwal’s dream run with the bat continued as he notched up yet another test double hundred. His 243 was more than what the entire Bangladesh team achieved in their two innings (150 and 213)

Both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli fell cheaply, but Agarwal ground Bangladesh’s bowlers into the dust with his double century. He was particularly severe on both Mehidy Hassan and Taijul Islam, and reached his 200 in Sehwag-esque fashion by smashing Mehidy into the stands.

In each of their four home tests this season, India have managed at least one double centurion- a key factor in their success.

2. Three consecutive wins by an innings for the Men in Blue

India continued from they had left off against South Africa by completing yet another innings victory here against Bangladesh. This Indore win means they have now won three successive tests by an innings for the first time since 1993/94. They are not just beating their opponents but mercilessly trampling all over them.

3. Bangladesh batsmen no match for India’s bowlers

Bangladesh batsmen came a cropper against India’s fiery pace attack. The trio of Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami wreaked havoc in both the innings as the visitors crumbled in the face of some accurate bowling.

Apart from Mushfiqur Rahim and to an extent Liton Das, all the other Bangladesh batsmen struggled to get going. Despite skipper Mominul Haque winning the toss, (something Faf Du Plessis was unable to do for South Africa on their entire tour) the Tigers slumped to a heavy defeat.

Continue reading “Five Talking Points from India vs Bangladesh First Test Indore November 16 2019”

India T20 Squad for Bangladesh Series Announced- Shivam Dube and Sanju Samson included

India have today announced their squad for the upcoming test and T20 series against neighbours Bangladesh. The selectors have chosen to keep faith with the same test squad that demolished South Africa 3-0, but have made a number of changes to the T20 team with one eye on next year’s World Cup in Australia.

What changes have India made to the T20 squad for the Bangladesh series?

From the squad that toured the West Indies and won 2-0 in the Caribbean, India have made four changes. Out go skipper Virat Kohli, spinner Ravindra Jadeja and pacers Navdeep Saini and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and in come wicket-keeper batsman Sanju Samson, all-rounder Shivam Dube, pacer Shardul Thakur and leggie Yuzvendra Chahal.

With regular skipper Kohli rested for the three-match Twenty 20 series, Rohit Sharma will lead the Men in Blue against Bangladesh Continue reading “India T20 Squad for Bangladesh Series Announced- Shivam Dube and Sanju Samson included”

Five Talking Points, Fan Analysis & Player Ratings- India vs South Africa 3rd Test Ranchi 2019

South Africa’s miserable tour of India finished with another massive defeat in Ranchi, the first time in over 80 years that the Proteas have lost successive tests by an innings.

Here are our talking points from the fixture in Ranchi.

Proteas test debuts for Linde and Klaasen: South Africa made as many as five changes for this Ranchi test. Two were injury enforced from Pune- Markram and Maharaj, while Theunis de Bruyn, Vernon Philander and Senuran Muthusamy were also shown the door.

George Linde and Heinrich Klaasen both made their test debuts. While Linde acquitted himself well, with handy knocks in both innings and four wickets in India’s first innings, Klaasen had one to forget, making just 6 and 5 in two outings at the crease.

Given that Rudi Second was originally the reserve wicket keeper on tour and that Kyle Verreynne is churning up some impressive numbers on the domestic circuit, it may be a while before we see Klaasen in tests again.

Both debutants also had the rather unique distinction of batting both their innings (in full) on the same day! Continue reading “Five Talking Points, Fan Analysis & Player Ratings- India vs South Africa 3rd Test Ranchi 2019”

The Theunis de Bruyn conundrum- Should the Proteas persist with TdB ?

Theunis de Bruyn’s spot in the South African lineup appears to be under serious threat as the Proteas head to Ranchi for the third and final test against India this weekend. Already 2-0 down in this series, the third test would normally only be of academic interest, but the introduction of the World Test Championship means there are points at stake, and both teams will be taking this as seriously as they did the Vizag and Pune ones.

De Bruyn’s case is an interesting one. Hailed as the next AB in South African cricket circles, he had to wait a long time for his debut despite dominating attacks for fun back home. It came two and a half years ago in Hamilton, and in the unfamiliar position of opener. The Titans star had a nightmare debut- out for a duck in the first, and run out in the second innings after a collision with Hashim Amla.

He has been in and out of the side, and only got a serious chance to cement his place in the starting XI after De Villiers retired, which was on the tough tour to Sri Lanka last year. To his credit, a fighting 101 on a turner in Colombo effectively saved his career, but mixed returns against Pakistan in the home summer and now away in India, means that his position is under threat again.

After 11 tests, De Bruyn only averages a measly 18.95. Half of them have been played away from home. Given South Africa’s representational requirements, and the fact that Zubayr Hamza is waiting in the wings, De Bruyn looks like the person most likely to be axed ahead of the home summer.

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Another home series Win for India, Woeful Proteas & More- Talking points from India vs South Africa Day 3 & 4 Pune 2019

India completed a comfortable win over South Africa, thrashing the Proteas by an innings and 137 runs and taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three test series.

Here are our talking points from Day 3 & 4 at the MCA Stadium in Pune

India enforce the follow on for the first time ever against South Africa

Some what surprisingly, Indian skipper Virat Kohli opted to enforce the follow on at the beginning of Day 4. Kohli has traditionally been a captain who prefers to give his bowlers a break and does not usually ask the opposition to bat in successive innings.

This was the first time ever that India had enforced the follow on against South Africa. Kohli’s men are also the first to do so against the Proteas since England back in 2008. On that occasion, South Africa managed to come away with a draw at Lord’s thanks to third innings centuries from Graeme Smith, Hashim Amla and Neil Mckenzie. This set of Proteas batsmen is however far inferior to that batch, and there was to be no repeat of their 2008 great escape.

A record 11th home series win for India

This was the Men in Blue’s 11th straight home series victory, breaking the previous record of 10 held by Australia.

India are becoming neigh unbeatable on home turf- they have lost only one test in the last five years.

Most consecutive series wins at home

India’s seamers shine again.

India’s pacers have improved manifold in Kohli’s reign as captain. Even the likes of Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav- initially considered to wayward and unthreatening have become forces to be reckoned with in the last couple of years. South Africa were expected to struggle against spinners but had an equally tough time against the pacers.

India’s fast bowlers have averaged 22 per wicket as compared to South Africa’s 76. Given that they were without ace quick Jasprit Bumrah, those are stunning figures indeed!

Is this the end of Theunis de Bruyn’s test career? Continue reading “Another home series Win for India, Woeful Proteas & More- Talking points from India vs South Africa Day 3 & 4 Pune 2019”